


[META] Luffy and Zoro, equality presented by Wano Arc…?

by kruk



Series: All the metas from my tumblr 'cause why not [7]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Analysis, Gen, Meta, One Piece Spoilers, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Wano Arc (One Piece), i'm gonna be nerd and will use source material, this was written before 1000th chapter but this doesn't change much my feelings on the matter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28790991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kruk/pseuds/kruk
Summary: The feeling of equality between Luffy & Zoro has been sitting on my mind a lot lately, so I finally decided to write down my chaotic thoughts on that matter. So here, a meta [and a rough little analysis] on that matter.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy & Roronoa Zoro
Series: All the metas from my tumblr 'cause why not [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790566
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. The  Equality...?

The feeling of equality between Luffy & Zoro has been sitting on my mind a lot lately, so I finally decided to write down my chaotic thoughts on that matter. 

First, to be precise: I’m not talking about power levels between Straw Hats because One Piece proved on many occasions that power alone is not a good measure how one character will fare in a fight or that beating X does not automatically guarantee beating Y. In Thriller Bark Perona took down Luffy, Sanji, Zoro and Franky without a problem, but lost to Usopp out of all people. At the same time, Luffy, Zoro and Sanji will always be the main fighters of Straw Hats no matter the gap of power between them. Everyone is powerful on their own, but they may fare better in different fighting settings. I personally tend to think that Luffy and Zoro are closer to each other in terms of power, raw strength and will, but this is not exactly the matter of equality I wish to talk about. What I wish to talk about is how the Wano arc set Luffy and Zoro apart from the rest of the crew in a more tangible (visual) way.

Even before Wano Arc, Luffy and Zoro were singled out by narrative on various occasions. The most memorable is: the first meeting with Shichibukai (and Mihawk acknowledging them both), taking a beating in Mock Town to Nami’s dismay and Bellamy Pirates’ amusement, earning the title of Supernova and with that becoming part of the Worst Generation, independently attacking Charlos/Tenryūbito (though sadly, Zoro was stopped by Bonney) or killing together a dragon on Punk Hazard. In all cases, Luffy and Zoro were set apart from the rest of the crew and even other pirates, sharing unspoken understanding of other actions and needs or becoming a part of something bigger and more dangerous. 

Luffy will always be the captain (leader) and as the main character, the hero saving the day at the end of the arc. At the same time, Zoro may never be officially called the vice captain by other crew members (which is fair, Straw Hats Pirates _don’t care_ nor have _any need_ for ranks) but narrative puts him as the protector of crew (i.e. Kuma), the leader in the absence of Luffy what consistently is marked by narrative boxes (i.e. “Zoro team”,”Zoro side”) and the layout of frames (Zoro taking the central position that normally belongs to Luffy) or even having some confrontation with the final boss (Arlong, Hody). Zoro is also treated like the voice of reason; even if his words are harsh and emotionless, he will speak what must be said for the Luffy and crew’s sake (Alabasta, Davy Back Fight Arc, Water 7, Enies Lobby, Zou). He is also the one that provides Luffy comfort and support in dire situations (Usopp leaving the crew). 

Luffy cares equally about his nakama, yet the narrative likes to single out Zoro as someone usually standing by him but also as someone taking Luffy’s position of captain very seriously. Further details adding to the feeling of equality set up by narrative include the visuality of their most notable scars (under left eye/left eye and middle of chest), the running joke of people mistaking Zoro for an actual captain of Straw Hats Pirates or acknowledging him as a dangerous “beast”, Luffy and Zoro’s very similar mindset and attitude towards fighting powerful enemies and all the parallels in which both captain and first mate* did the same things on various points in the manga or color spreads/covers.

In general, the story established how despite their different nature of extrovert and introvert, Luffy and Zoro are similar when it comes to the serious and trivial matters about whose I could talk for days. What is vital though, for years such treatment of Zoro created the feeling of equality between him and Luffy. Not in the power sense per se because narrative has never been _objective_ about that, but how they progress from rookies to men getting closer and closer to fulfilling their dreams.

And now the Wano Arc seems to single them out in ever more visible ways.

For one, anime dropped the individual eye catchers for the whole crew, except for Luffy and Zoro. At the end of each, all Straw Hats are showed standing together:

  


In both cases, Zoro is on Luffy’s right and both carry similar looking katanas: Kitetsu II and Sandal Kitetsu III. The swords may have different colors, but their tsuba have the same patterns, which double the feeling of equality between those two. 

Manga provides similar moments, starting with chapter 912

and cover of volume 91 (which was used for Luffy’s eye catcher apparently) and inside illustration included in volume 92

Then from all the crew, only Luffy and Zoro were pretending to be ronin (the masterless samurai), seen in box info

while the rest Straw Hats played the role of ninja (Chopper), kunoichi (Nami), ghost (Brook), geisha (Robin), toad oil salesman (Usopp), carpenter (Franky) and soba cook (Sanji). Even Law, another Supernova and equal to Luffy, hid his identity pretending to be some sort of wandering monk. And thinking logically, Law would be better ronin because unlike Luffy, he knows how to use sword in fight. 

Another visually prominent detail - Zoro and Luffy are the only one Straw Hats who have kimonos with ornaments resembling the sun that may be a symbol of the coming dawn, foretold by Lady Toki. A dawn that will end Kaido and Orochi’s reign on Wano.

Luffy’s ornament is straight taken from the crest of the Kozuki clan (and resembling the symbol Alabasta Kingdom). I have much more to tell about Zoro’s design but about that more n chapter 2. For now, though it looks much sharper is no less reminiscent of the same solar symbol. Adding to the sign their status of ronin and we may call Luffy and Zoro, figuratively speaking, the samurai bringing sun (hope, new era, peace) to a country plunged in darkness, most likely in nearest future fulfilling late Kozuki Oden’s desire to defeat Kaido and open Wano to world.

Of course, all Straw Hats, Heart Pirates, Minks and people of Wano are working together to defeat Kaido but Luffy and Zoro were visually set apart from everyone from the beginning of the arc. There is also their personal, strong connection to Oden’s children: Momonosuke and Hiyori who both were very impressed by them and protected by Luffy (Momonsuke) and Zoro (Hiyori).

Another detail binding Luffy and Zoro more to Oden and setting them apart from the rest of characters are new things they have acquired through the course of the arc. Namely, the better understanding & advanced techniques of Busoshoku Haki (Luffy) and late Oden’s great sword Enma (Zoro). Both things are capable of hurting Kaido.

Usually, during the arc, Luffy gets separated from the crew for the longest part of the story. And indeed, he gets struck first in prison (where he managed to win over imprisoned there samurais) and now, during battle, was running to face Kaido escorted only by Jimbei and Sanji (who wandered away in chapter 997). Surprisingly, Zoro too was separated by quite a long period of time, in which he met and befriended Yasue, Hiyori and Toko before he rejoined the crew for the final battle. Luffy and Zoro are the Straw Hats that openly admit they want to face Kaido in fight.

Another detail setting them apart from the rest of the crew: interacting with (and in case of Zoro, beating down) other Supernovas. They met Hawkins at the beginning of arc and fought him (Sanji too, met Hawkins and Drake once in public baths but ran away, securing Nami, Robin and Shinobi well being), then Killer and Kid before and during battle, Apoo and Drake which whom they had small crash, but now Drake were working with Roronoa against Apoo. Ironically, Drake is a friend with Coby who is a friend of both Luffy and Zoro. Coby literally met those two before Nami debuted. Also, the Supernovas allied with Luffy are learning in hard way that dealing with Zoro is not less stressing that working with Luffy.

How the Wano arc will turn out will show the upcoming chapters, for now though, not only Straw Hat has a strong connection to people of this land. For one, there is Tama, that both Luffy and Zoro came to like very much and literally started wreaking havoc in enemy territory because of her. _Twice._ Then there is mentioned connection to Oden - symbolic samurais of dawn and carrying Momonosuke and Hiyori’s wish to defeat Kaido and save the country but also Zoro’s personal connection to Shimotsuki clan that was hinted time after time and briefly explained in SBS that may or may not play bigger role, especially since Shimotsuki clan support Kozuki family. Which only adds to the whole connection between Luffy and Zoro and (good) people of Wano.

I feel like Wano arc was set up to establish the equality of Luffy and Zoro, not in the power sense that so many fans love to argue about, but as the relationship between them. Not just as captain and (powerful) subordinate but more like partners, the way Roger and Rayleigh or Kid and Killer are seen. The manga put a lot effort in creating parallels and the visual similarity between those two characters to dismiss the potential hints of Luffy and Zoro slowly falling apart from the crew in the sense of the role they will play in this and maybe future arcs.


	2. Sun, the Symbol of Dawn

In reference to previous chapter, I wish to focus on one particular detail - the ornament on Luffy and Zoro's kimono.

Like I said previously, both ornaments resemble the sun thus may be a symbol of the coming dawn, foretold by Lady Toki. The symbolism of light and darkness is prominent in One Piece for years, especially lately. The darkness is used as a metaphor for slavery and crimes against humanity and fishmen (Kaido and Orochi’s reign is the lasting for 20 years night, Donquixote Family’s criminal doing was “core” of the darkness in Dressrosa), but even before the heavy themed evilness became a vital part of storyline, the symbol of light/sun represented the hope in otherwise hopeless, dangerous darkness. The best example is Vivi’s speech of adventure and meeting the little ship in the darkness of the storm; a little ship supporting her and asking “ _don’t you see that light?_ ”. Which is really telling, because light (sun) begins its journey in the east and East Blue is the place that Luffy and Zoro (and the core members of Straw Hats) come from to the New World, bringing with themselves freedom and hope for those oppressed by present or approaching darkness.

Now, Luffy’s ornament is straight taken from the crest of Kozuki clan and to some degree resembles the mark of Alabastra (surprisingly wore by Sanji during Alabasta arc; for comparison, the flag of Alabasta Kingdom can be seen [here](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fonepiece%2Fimages%2F4%2F45%2FAlabasta_Flag.png%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20190104050158&t=ODM0NGRlYWMxNmI1OTdkZDM4NThjYWMyODgyYTA1ZmFhYmY2NGNhOSxiVzZlVkY1Ng%3D%3D&b=t%3AqtFrr9OqOKzNgyeAJ6td5A&p=https%3A%2F%2Fcienie-isengardu.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F637022123425185792%2Fsun-the-symbol-of-dawn&m=1&ts=1610806023)) 

Which makes sense - Luffy is the main hero, the one “destined” to defeat Kaido and save people of Wano. He promised so to Momonosuke and frankly, it is a step he must make to earn the title of Pirate King. There is no point in hidden meaning when his role of bringing dawn (freedom, new era) and erasing darkness is obvious from the start. 

With Zoro the matter is a bit more complicated. In contrast to Luffy, his ornament is sharp edged, which adds the feeling of some harshness(?) to his character - what fits him very well. Similar shaped sun worn by Zoro can be seen also on color spread for chapter 937.

For a while I felt Zoro’s “sun” seemed familiar yet couldn’t point out where before I could see anything similar. While making research (rereading earlier arcs) it hit me that though Zoro’s symbol, like Luffy’s one, is undoubtedly a solar sign, there is at the same time a weird connection between this and marks related to evil groups. Like Tenrybuuto and Kaido Pirates:

The hoof of the Celestial Dragon is especially an interesting mark, because it represented a darkness that Fisher Tiger turned into something better - a hope, new chance and proudness for once oppressed.

## “And in order to erase the trace of their bondage… **the former slaves turned the mark of the Celestial Dragons into a symbol of the sun!** ”

Which is why the sharpness edges of Zoro’s symbol seemed so familiar, I guess. Because like Boa sisters told Luffy, the mark of Celestial Dragons and Sun Pirates can be mistaken for each other:

and

Maybe once again I’m overanalyzing stuff, but isn’t it a strange case - or parallel? - that once again dragons (darkness) clash with “Sun” Pirates? 

Luffy and Zoro are the only two Straw Hats that carry symbolic sun on their kimono - what creates the feeling of (visual) equality between them albeit their symbols aren’t perfectly the same. The dawn will be brought to Wano by a crew formed and coming from East Blue in which Luffy and Zoro being literally called the Supernovas… you know, _a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness_ because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass.

It makes sense that Luffy and Zoro (and Straw Hats) represent the new dawn for Wano. After all, the very first chapter of One Piece told us that “the wind blows from the east”. 

Wind of change (related to Monkey D. Dragon / Army of Revolutionaries) and the new dawn (The Supernova Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro) that may chase away the darkness come from East Blue and they are gonna change the world, aren’t they?


End file.
